All this to rescue a dog from a drainage pipe near the Northwest 57th Avenue exit of the Palmetto Expressway in Miami Lakes.

"We would get calls from motorists on their way to work," said Barbara Trimino, a volunteer for Pet Rescue, a nonprofit organization that rescues homeless animals.

"He would come out of his drainpipe and he would just sit in the emergency lane and, like, sunbathe. And of course people would see him there and they would freak out."

The 2-year-old shepherd mix, named Highway for his drainpipe home's proximity to the roadway, was finally rescued by a professional animal trapper last month and turned over to Pet Rescue.

But the rescue was no easy task.

During the first rescue attempt, Highway said no way. He would not budge from inside the pipe. A DOT crew used water pressure to scare him out. No dice. A Critter Control trapper crawled into the pipe and used chicken to entice the dog. No go. Trapper Joe Felegi finally snagged the pooch during a second attempt, using a tranquilizer dart.

In the month since the rescue, many people have volunteered to help Highway. But no one has offered him what he needs the most _ a permanent home.

Pet Rescue say Highway needs to be in a loving home where there are no small children, since he is easily frightened.

"He responds well to people, but he's still scared," volunteer Edie Brodsky said. "He just has to learn to trust again."